Organisers urged Hong Kong's government to take seriously an unofficial referendum on democratic reform after nearly 800,000 people voted in the Chinese city, but state media in Beijing dismissed the ballot as unpatriotic.

In the recent years the country’s leadership has been hesitating trying to choose between closer ties with the EU and ties with Russia, between participating in the CIS and staying away from the integration: Nazarbayev.

Oil prices rose in Asia Monday on increased geopolitical tensions as the United States hinted at fresh sanctions against Moscow after Crimea voted in a referendum to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.